He Was Unknown

Now let us turn our attention to the book of John as we further explore this mandate of repentance.  John 1:6 introduces us to John the Baptist.  He was the man sent from God.  Don’t miss that comment.  God sent this forerunner.  The text goes on:
“This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”  John 1:7-9
The Scripture is clear - that all through him might believe.  More appropriately we would say that it is the message that John the Baptist brings that opens the way to belief.  He bore witness of the Light.  This is what the ministry of John did.  It pointed to Light.  Considering the contrary of this is helpful. Without John the Baptist, the nation would not have a witness of the Light.  Nothing to show the way to the Light.  As a result, there is something utterly peculiar about John’s ministry that pointed to Jesus.
Let us walk through the section in John 1 beginning at verse 19.  John the Evangelist tells us the testimony of John the Baptist.  It begins with Jews sending their leaders to John who was outside of Jerusalem to ask who he was.  "Who are you?"  When John the Baptist appears on the scene of first century Palestine, the nation did not know who he was.  One of the keys to this passage is to see John the Baptist as the personification of repentance.  Who he was in the plan of God is summed up in the word "repentance". The Jews did not know who this was.  He was unknown to them.

Power Outage

Having looked at the end of our present age, we find that the people of the earth will experience much pain, suffering and death.  Daniel 12 helps us catch another glimpse of God's purposes during this time.  The last chapter of Daniel sets forth the the purpose of the Tribulation as it concerns Israel - Daniel's people.  Daniel asks, "how long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?"  Daniel's prophecy says,
    "Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished." (Dan 12:7)
The image of the man clothed in linen emphasizes the absolute authority and certainty of his following statement.  What he is about to say is a fixed point, never to be altered, in all eternity.  Israel's self-will, self-drive, self-preservation will be utterly destroyed.  They will have no strength of their own to stand before their God.  Done!  Every corner from which self-power rises will be removed from the nation as a result of God's working in the Tribulation time period.  The Jews will find themselves so persecuted, that they finally as a people will be broken.
Our old friend Jacob - the self-driven, supplanting conniver - who, in part, embodies the spirit of the people of Israel will finally surrender to God.  The Tribulation is actually referred to in the old testament as the time of "Jacob's trouble" (Jer 30:7)  It is interesting to note that his name was changed when he wrestled with God.  His name became "Israel" which means "he who struggles with God and prevails." All of the struggling of the holy people will find its God-appointed end when Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation.  They will be broken, but they will not be destroyed.  They will truly be Israel.  Here is a key.  Emptying someone of their own power is the first step toward seeing the Messiah.  We see Him more clearly when our own power is shattered.  Israel could not see Him the first time because, as a nation, they retained their own power.  There will come a time.  They will yet see Him. . . when they will have no more of their own power.